The head of the World Bank said on Wednesday the world had entered a new economic danger zone and that Europe, Japan and the United States all need to make hard decisions to avoid dragging down the global economy.

"Unless Europe, Japan, and the United states can also face up to responsibilities they will drag down not only themselves but the global economy," World Bank President Robert Zoellick said in a speech at George Washington University.

The leaders of France and Britain arrived in Libya on Thursday to congratulate the new rulers they helped install, but families fleeing besieged bastions of ousted strongman Moamar Gaddafi are a reminder that peace is still far off.

The visit is a victory lap for Nicolas Sarkozy and David Cameron, who defied doubters at home to lead a NATO bombing campaign that succeeded in ushering in a victory by forces who swept away Gaddafi's 42-year rule last month.

Dozens of tanks and hundreds of soldiers stormed towns and villages near Syria's northwest border with Turkey on Wednesday, stepping up President Bashar al-Assad's efforts to crush popular unrest and pursue army defectors, local activists said.

A marathon siege in Kabul’s diplomatic enclave ended on Wednesday with the death of the last two of a group of gunmen who had held off Western and Afghan security forces for nearly 20 hours, showering rockets on Western embassies in a dramatic show of insurgent strength.

The holy text of Islam is called the Qur'an (also spelled Koran). The word Qur'an comes from the Arabic word iqra (to read), and is a noun that literally means “the Reading.” Revealed verse by verse to Muhammad over a period of twenty-three years, the Qur'an is the center of Muslim life. The Qur'an was revealed in the Arabic language and is preserved in its original form, although translations of the meaning have been done into other languages. Through stories and parables, direct instructions and warnings, the Qur'an gives a universal message of belief in One God and in the guidance He has sent through time.

One of the dangers of tobacco is that it is so addicting. It causes a physical response in your body when you try to give it up. Therefore, quitting is often difficult. However, with the help of Allah and the personal commitment to improve yourself for the sake of Allah, and for your own health, it is possible.

The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has denounced a recent statement made by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a high-profile non-Jewish supporter of Israel, that he considered “Islamic terrorism” as the biggest threat to world peace.

Everyone knows that when being ill, one needs a doctor. All men (except for Prophets) are prone to have deceases of heart, such as envy, arrogance, showing off, love for the worldly, pride etc. To get rid and cure such sicknesses it is necessary to have a spiritual master - Shaikh.

A century-old mosque that survived the Soviet crackdown on religion was demolished in downtown Moscow on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The destruction was carried out on the instructions of Russia's top muftis, who said the wooden building had begun to collapse after heavy rainfall over the weekend. But architectural preservationists denounced the decision as an "act of unbelievable barbarity."

Arab League states on Tuesday called for "immediate change" in Syria and an end to the violence after months of a government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters opposed to President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

The Syrian leadership must also start a national dialogue to resolve the conflict, foreign ministers said in a statement at the end of a meeting in Cairo.